Title: Your Letter
Author: Hyeon A. Cho
Publisher: Ize Press
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 270
Genre: Slice-of-Life
Publication Date: July 23, 2024
The Story
One day, a girl by the name of Sori Lee witnessed a classmate, Jimin Kim, get continuously bullied. She stood up for Jimin and, suddenly, the bullies turned on her. It got so bad that she had to transfer out of the private academy she attended and back to public school in her old hometown. When she arrived, all she could remember was the bullying she received and she thought that things would be the same there; however, that all changed when she received a letter taped underneath her desk.
It led her on a scavenger hunt to find additional letters from a boy named Hoyeon Jeong. Eventually, the letters lead her to the archery range where she comes across an aspiring archer named Dongsun Park. Dongsun seemed rather unfriendly and intimidating at first until he learned that the letters she was seeking were from Hoyeon, someone he shared a past. When he learns this, he helps her search until they come to the end of the trail.
What is it that awaits them there?
Characters
Sori is the type of character that you can easily get attached to. She’s an example of the consequences of trying to do the right thing. Even though she stood up for her friend Jimin, she ended up getting the worst of it and it traumatized her; however, thanks to Hoyeon’s letters, she was able to find happiness and comfort again at her new school. Outside of the trauma, Sori is just a typical teenage girl with a sense of justice… a sense that she slowly regains over time. She’s a great example that things don’t always need to stay the same if you’ve been hurt. You can find a way back to being the way you once were.
Dongsun, on the other hand, has had a bit of anger management issues which is why he came off as a bit cold and calloused. Part of that came from someone named Seungyu who, I wouldn’t say was a bully in the typical sense, but he did like to try and control others… almost in a mafia style. Seungyu would always guilt Dongsun into situations he would much rather not be associated with… one of which caused him to get suspended for two weeks. Even though he took the proverbial bullet for Seungyu, it ended up becoming one of the best things to happen to him because that’s when he got closer to Hoyeon, became friends with him, and learned to keep his anger under control. It made him a better person and by the end of the book, you get to see that brighter side to him.
Then we have Hoyeon himself. There’s a lot to be said about him but despite the twists and turns throughout the story, one thing is prevalent above all others… Heyeon is a kind and considerate person who always remembers those he’s close with. He also makes you ask a few questions about his intentions and why he chose letters and a scavenger hunt rather than just being upfront and direct with things. By the end, you’ll understand why perfectly, and it was masterfully done!
Final Thoughts
This was just a single-volume story but I don’t think it needed anything more than this. The story felt complete, nothing felt rushed, and it took you through an entire journey with exceptional character development!
I will be honest, though… the direction the story took wasn’t something that I was expecting. From the outset, I had a different path in my head with the letters, the trail, and what awaited Sori at the end. I thought that this was going to be a solo journey; however, it turned out to be something not what I imagined… but that doesn’t necessarily mean that this is a negative because what we were given was very good and impactful! I just mentioned it because it’s a great use of misdirection and storytelling. If a story can make you believe something, then switch it up, increase the quality, and leave you satisfied at the end, then it’s a sign of something special and that’s what I think Your Letter is.
While the story wasn’t 5th dimension-levels of complex, it did transition from something straightforward to something a bit deeper. Especially when it got towards the end… it left you wondering about a multitude of scenarios that could play out and then when you’re expecting a certain ending, you get something that warms your heart.
From cover to cover, Your Letter tells a satisfying and complete story about overcoming different mindsets and finding the better path of the choices presented to you… if you do, there is a little surprise for you at the end… both in story terms, and in reality as taped to the back cover of the book was a nice little surprise… one that if you discovered it first, might not mean much, but if you discover it last, it will have a profound impact.
Overall Score: 4.5 / 5
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This item was provided for review by Ize Press
